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1st Ld: UN Security Council slams DPRK satellite launch

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 22, 2013 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --
The UN Security Council on
Tuesday condemned the satellite launch on Dec. 12 by the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying that
Pyongyang "used ballistic missile technology and was in violation
of resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009)."
The 15-nation UN body, in a unanimously-adopted resolution,
said that it "condemns the DPRK's launch of Dec. 12, 2012, which
used ballistic missile technology and was in violation of
resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009)."
The Council "demands that the DPRK not proceed with any further
launches using ballistic missile technology, and comply with
resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009) by suspending all
activities related to its ballistic missiles program and in this
context re-establishing its pre-existing commitments to a
moratorium on missile launches," said the resolution.

In mid December, the DPRK's official KCNA news agency confirmed
that the country launched and orbited an earth observation
satellite.

According to the KCNA, a Unha-3 rocket carrying the second
version of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite blasted off from the
Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province at
9: 49 a.m. local time (0049 GMT) on Dec. 12.

The satellite entered its preset orbit 9 minutes and 27 seconds
after the liftoff, said the agency.